Continuous symmetries of difference equations

Continuous Symmetries of Difference Equations

Lie group theory was originally created more than 100 years ago as a tool for solving ordinary and partial differential equations. In this article we review the results of a much more recent program: the use of Lie groups to study difference equations. We show that the mismatch between continuous symmetries and discrete equations can be resolved in at least two manners. One is to use generalize...

Lie Symmetries of Difference Equations

The discrete heat equation is worked out in order to illustrate the search of symmetries of difference equations. It is paid an special attention to the Lie structure of these symmetries, as well as to their dependence on the derivative discretization. The case of q–symmetries for discrete equations in a q–lattice is also considered.

Preface: Symmetries and Integrability of Difference Equations

Preface: Symmetries and Integrability of Difference Equations

Discrete derivatives and symmetries of difference equations

We show on the example of the discrete heat equation that for any given discrete derivative we can construct a nontrivial Leibniz rule suitable to find the symmetries of discrete equations. In this way we obtain a symmetry Lie algebra, defined in terms of shift operators, isomorphic to that of the continuous heat equation.